Foles ready for next challenge under center with Eagles

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, seen here in the Pro Bowl, is ready to guide his team in taking the next step from last year’s NFC East title as the Eagles start training camp Friday. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

PHILADELPHIA — You can’t keep Nick Foles down. Each failure seems to be followed by amazing success.

After losing the starting quarterback competition in training camp last year, Foles guided the Eagles to their first playoffs berth in three seasons.

After a horrible home loss to the Dallas Cowboys left critics pleading for rookie Matt Barkley to play quarterback, Foles tied the NFL single-game record with seven scoring passes. Just like that, his uniform and shoes were sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The only question in the mind of Foles, who led the NFL in passer rating last season, is how much better the Eagles can be this year.

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The answer begins when the Eagles report for training camp Friday. By then Foles’ epic season featuring 27 touchdown passes and just two interceptions will be less important than the season-ending playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints.

“I think you’re always looking to get better but sometimes it doesn’t happen,” Foles said. “Our team isn’t measured by my 27 and 2 or whatever. If we win and I throw 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions and we’re winning … well, hopefully I don’t do that. But ... the big thing is, can I be a good enough leader to where I can make these guys better players around me to where it makes the team better and we win? Now I might not ever reach those numbers again. I might not ever reach those statistics. I hope I do. I want to get better and I want to be a better player. But as long as you’re successful as a team, that’s the most important thing.”

Foles is a lot like his father, Larry, the restaurant entrepreneur in Austin, Texas. Nick Foles told a story about a dishwasher who rubbed elbows with his pop during his first business venture. It failed, by the way.

“What she remembered is he was the owner and everything, but he would put on his apron and go start working a job if someone didn’t show up, whether it was washing dishes or whatever,” Foles said. “She said she was probably the lowest person on the totem pole, and here he was next to her.

“When I heard that story it really made sense how I had him as my role model and my mom as my role model.”

Foles’ ascent to NFL stardom and his rapport with teammates is anything but a surprise to coach Chip Kelly. The quarterback competition between Foles and Michael Vick, who was not re-signed, was closer than even Kelly imagined.

“I think Nick understood it,” Kelly said of the decision to go with Vick. “But he also said he was going to continue to work to make sure that if his opportunity came that he was going to take advantage of it. I think that’s what you noticed out of him is that there are guys that would sulk in that situation and have the ‘feel sorries for me.’ That’s not going to make him a better player and that’s one of the things that makes Nick special is he’s never content. He wasn’t content when he was No. 2. He’s not content when he’s the starting quarterback now because he knows he can constantly improve.”

Finishing out of the money was par for the course for Foles. From Michigan State, where Foles couldn’t beat out Kirk Cousins, to Arizona, where Foles transferred for only the chance to earn a scholarship as a walk-on, it was clear to all who studied his history that you couldn’t keep the 6-6, 250-pound Foles down.

The Eagles are widely favored to repeat as NFC East champions despite a difficult schedule that includes five playoff teams, including the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Make no mistake, the Eagles have a lot of work ahead of them. They have upgraded their defense and special teams in free agency and the draft. The big question is how to replace the production of DeSean Jackson, who joined Washington after being released. The addition of running back Darren Sproles, another weapon, should help. So should the confidence of Foles, who during the offseason camps impressed not only Kelly but teammates with his knowledge of the still-growing offense.

The Eagles have to hold off the Dallas Cowboys, who they edged in the regular season finale to secure a playoff berth. And then there’s the New York Giants, who team owner John Marra thinks have upgraded enough to win the division.

Eagles fans aren’t about to temper their expectations. Foles says he gets it.

“I understand the people here,” said Foles. “I’ve been around the city here. I love it. I love that I can play here because they do love the Eagles that much. I could tell my rookie year (4-12 record) when I went around the city that people weren’t as happy. Last year we were able to succeed. People were a little more upbeat. When we go out there, I know when they’re yelling from the stands. They’re excited. That’s genuine excitement. They’re loving it. They’re fired up. And when they boo, I know we better get this thing going because they’re going to keep booing until we get this thing going.

“It’s one of those things where I don’t get upset about it. I embrace it because you go back to their mindset. A lot of them are hard-working people who spend a lot of their money buying tickets to go to the games. They love it. There’s such a great tradition here. … There’s going to be times they boo me. There’s going to be times when they’re going to say bad things about me. But I’m going to keep working. I love playing for this city. I love playing for this organization because they are special people. They are the most passionate fans I’ve ever been around. With passion is going to come a lot of criticism. I understand that. I’m willing to work through it.”